The present invention relates to multiprocessor computer systems, and more particularly to a method and system for reporting error logs in a logical partition computer system.
Logical partitioning is the ability to make a single multiprocessing system run as if it were one or more independent systems. Each logical partition represents a division of resources in the system and operates as an independent logical system. Each partition is logical because the division of resources may be physical or virtual. An example of logical partitions is the partitioning of a multiprocessor computer system into multiple independent servers, each with it own processors, main storage, and I/O devices.
One job of the operating system in a computer system is to periodically check the state of the machine, including looking for any error logs that have been reported by a service processor. Normally, there is only one operating system running in the system, and once the operating system checks the logs, the logs are typically marked as xe2x80x9cread and ready for deletionxe2x80x9d to make room for new error logs. In a LPAR system, however, there are multiple (and possibly different operating systems) running in the system. In this case, a first operating system cannot mark the logs ready for deletion, since the other operating systems also need to check the error logs.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved method and system for reporting error logs in a logical partition computer system. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for reporting error logs in a logical partition computer system. Error logs reported for the computer system are stored in an error log partition. An event scan routine is instantiated for each of the logical partitions that make requests to read new error logs in the error log partition. In response to receiving a request from each of the event scan routines, the new error log is retrieved for the respective event scan routines. Once it has been determined that each of the logical partitions have read the new error log, the new error log is marked as ready for deletion in the error log partition.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a method and system for reporting errors in a logical partition computer system that ensures error logs are not deleted before each logical partition has had a chance to read them.